Sunday, August 09, 2009

For our most recent Gametime 2009 update, we give you our review of the original score for KILLZONE 2. The mega-hit sequel to the game Killzone has sold upwards of 1.5 million copies and Sony's eventual release of JORIS DE MAN's original score for this sequel has been eagerly awaited for months. While word remains that the iTunes release is imminent, we bring our full review of the promotional tracks right now...including three streaming clips from this powerful score.

Here is an excerpt from Marius' glowing review of Killzone 2:

The world of First-Person Shooter games is hardly under-populated, and the general expectations for musical quality have been high thanks to standards set by the Medal of Honor series and others besides. So it's no surprise that sometimes a title slips onto the market without getting the recognition it should for music. When the original Killzone hit stores in 2004, it received largely mediocre reviews and seemed to be considered a title that lacked distinguishing features. While the game itself may have been unremarkable, JORIS DE MAN's musical score for it was one of the most superbly well-crafted efforts in the game music world. Taking the military game score stereotypes and raising them to new heights of symphonic majesty, DE MAN's score flowed from soaring brass fanfares, to remarkably lyrical sections, to epic marches, to aggressive modern elecontrics...all while demonstrating clever, lush orchestration and narrative musicality. It was an under-appreciated gem. Considering DE MAN's extensive musical background and experience, it's not surprising that he managed to raise the bar and deliver a cinematic and enthralling sequel score for KILLZONE 2.

To tie right in with this review, we have just published our full transcription of the podcast interview we conducted with Joris de Man back in February of this year. Included on the interview page is a fantastic documentary on the creation of the score, produced by Open Door.